CHAPTER 24 - JANE (Parallel universe)
"Tell me. How did it happen? What did you do? Why did he make such a proposal out of the blue? Or has this been going on for a while?" June fires me a lot of questions. Her brown eyes twinkle with curiosity mixed with a bit of…excitement?
"No. It was literally out of the blue. I got to work. I was at my desk when he came in with his small entourage. Then his wife walked in too…"
"That cold hag." June snorts, making a face of disgust.
"June! Don't call her that." I reprimand her.
"But it's true. I'm in my mid-twenties and I still haven't seen any woman colder than your boss's wife. She's always dressed like some…"
"That's enough, June. Please." I say more firmly, shutting up whatever rude remarks she's trying to voice out. "Don't forget she's still my boss's wife. Show the woman a bit of respect."
"Okay. Okay. Whatever." She scoffs, waving it off. "So what happened after that?"
"She walked into his office, and after a few minutes, she ran out in tears. The entourage followed her. And that was when my boss invited me into his office."
"You went. And he proposed that you become his mistress. What exactly were his words?"
"I can't even remember anymore. Just that he wants me to be his mistress and I could get a raise or a bonus or anything I wanted. The nerve of him!" I snort, feeling pissed anew from his words.
"And?" June drawls expectantly, with a grin on her face.
"Why do you have that grin on your face?" I ask her. "Do you find this funny?"
"No. Not funny. But damn interesting!" June squeals excitedly. "And erotic. You never run out of luck, girl. You keep getting the best offers!"
"What's so good about this offer?"
"Everything. Your boss is stupidly rich. Offers to fuck you a few times, and in exchange, you get whatever you want. My God! That's the easiest way to get rich. You don't have to work for it, not literally at least."
"Yeah. But he's married. He's MARRIED, June." I try to be more precise so she can understand my plight.
"So what?"
"What do you mean by that?" I ask confusedly. "When has it ever been okay to start an affair with a married man?"
"Okay. But when has it ever been okay to deny yourself of what's gonna be an epic adventure just because of some stupid ring around his finger and some cold hag who bears his last name?"
"June!!"
"What?!" She retorts, amidst laughter. "I'm being honest here. That woman can never satisfy any man in bed. Especially a Don Juan like your boss. The poor man. He must be sex-starved to have come crawling to you…"
I refuse to admit to her that those were his exact words. Knowing June very well, she'll feast on that and make fun of my boss's wife. I can't let her do that.
"Besides, the fact that he's married makes it a lot easier," June added.
"How's that?" I arch a brow at her.
"Because the fact that he's married keeps you from getting emotionally attached. It's just physical and that's it. What's the big problem?!" She shrugs.
I shake my head with a loud exhale. "It's not that easy, June…"
"C'mon, Jane. Quit being such a do-gooder. Take advantage of some things while you can. This is a great opportunity. You don't get it every day."
"At the detriment of his poor wife? I can't do that." I shake my head defiantly. "Besides, you know married men are big turn-offs to me."
That's the big issue here. I'm a sucker for dicks, I can't lie about that. I've had a handful of one-night stand experiences and I'm yet to have more. But then, married men have always been off-limits.
As a stripper who does her job well, you can say I'm being hypocritical. But then, I'm not trying to protect my dignity or whatever. I mean, I already lost it twirling around the pole. But that's not it. I think everyone has this one thing they dislike, regardless. For me, fucking married men is that thing.
"Make an exception, Jane. Your boss is a great catch. And there's nothing wrong in taking a good man from a careless woman and giving him all the pleasure he deserves."
"Oh yeah?" I give an exaggerated grin. "What makes my boss a good man?"
"Money. Huge dick. Connections. That's what makes him a great man." June smirks, winking at me.
"Get lost." I sigh, moving to the shoe racks to grab my five-inches heel I'll be performing in tonight.
"Stop trying to be so modest, Jane. You already lost it twirling around a pole."
"I know that. And I'm not trying to be modest."
I reply, putting on the shoes.
"Then what's the problem? I don't get it." June says, pacing the room. "You're the top stripper in this nightclub for a reason."
"I didn't fuck my way up here if that's what you're insinuating." I defend quickly, glaring at her.
"But you had a lot of experiences under the sheet and that's how you got fucking good at moving your waist and giving those erotic dances."
"You're not making sense so just stop talking." I stand in front of the mirror, checking myself out for the last time. Any minute from now, I'll be out there.
"Is it Adrain?" June asks, and that makes me go slightly pale. "Have you still not forgotten about that cheating ex of yours?"
"Adrain happened but I already moved on. I'll appreciate it if we don't talk about him again." I dismiss the talk, blinking back the tears welling in my eyes. It'll be a disaster if I let them down and they ruin my make-up.
"If you say so." She mutters and heads for the door. "I'll be at the bar. Let me know if you need me."
"Sure. Thanks." I reply blandly. The mood just got ruined the second she mentioned Adrain. Why did she have to go that far?
She leaves and in five minutes, another knock comes on the door.
"Come in!"
"Miss Jane. It's time." The man informs me. He's the P.A of Madam Tricia, the owner of the nightclub.
Well, according to the rumors, she's not exactly the owner. Some higher-ups call the shots here. But I don't know any of them.
"Sure. I'll be out in a second." I take one last look in the mirror before heading out. I put on my mask. I always wear one.
Working for a renowned company and being a stripper at night is contradicting. It can cause a huge scandal and the company will be affected. That's why I pleaded with Madam Tricia to help me keep my identity a secret.
If I had better options, I wouldn't be a stripper. But I've got bills to pay, and my family to send cash to. So yeah, I settle with what I have. But in exchange, I keep my face hidden from the thousands in the nightclub.
The nightclub is filled to the brim and when I get on the podium, the crazy ovation sets the place on fire.
I begin moving to the beats, as sensually and erotically as I can ever do. My transparent lingerie is my charms and my moves are the icing on it.
As I end the dance, I have all the men on their knees, begging for a night to fuck my pussy. It's always a delight to see them go this crazy over me. I blow them kisses and it sends them into a noisier frenzy.
But then, my amusement vanishes as my gaze lands on a man sitting at a bar. He's fiddling with a shot of tequila and he's not even glancing my way. It's like he never even noticed the performance I just put up.
It hurts a bit of my ego, but squinting my eyes at him, I wonder why he looks rather familiar. Where have I seen his face?
Bloody hell! I gasp, as I remember where I've seen his face. The magazines. The tabloids. The newspaper covers. The news. The billboards. The gossips. His face is everywhere. Talked about every bloody time. The god of R $ R.
"Is that…Richard Riggo?"